Heat-regulator.



N0.-741,610. PATENTED OCT. 20, 1903. LA FAYETTE ALDRICH & W.'GRANGE.

HEAT REGULATOR. APPLIOATIONTILED JULY 14, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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, UNITED STATES Patented October 20, 1903.

PAT NT OFFICE.

LA FAYETTE ALDRICH AND WILLIAM GRANGE, or MILWAUKEE,

- WISCONSIN.

-H EAT-REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION: forming part or LettersJPatent No. 741,610, dated October 20, 1903.

Application filed July 14, 1902.

Q and WILLIAM GRANGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, county of Milwaukee, and State of \Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Heat 7 Regulators, of which the following is a specisteam-s11 pply,

fication.

Our invention relates to improvements in heat-regulatingdevices.

The object of our invention is to provide a form of thermostatic device capable of acting through direct mechanical connections to oper'ate the steam-valve of a radiator.

In the following description reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1-is a diagrammatic view of our in vention, showing the radiator on a reduced scale and the thermostat with the face-plate removed. Fig; 2 is a front view of the thermostat. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail showing the indicator-finger and its connections. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the fluid-controlled piston and weights, and Fig. 6 is a detail of the steam-valve and valve-actuating lever of the radiator.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

1 is a radiator to which steam is supplied by means of a supply-pipe 2.

- 3 is the casing of a valve controlling the and 4 is a valve-actuating le-, ver through the medium of which a slidevalve 5, Fig. 6,is manipulated.

6 is a hand-controlled valve also used for regulating the steam-supply independently of the thermostat. The valve-lever 4 is tubular and partially filled with mercury 9: In

operating'th'e valve the lever moves slightly above and below a horizontal plane, closing if the valve during its downward movement. As the lever moves below the horizontal plane the mercury flows toits outer end and furnishes sufficient weight to insure an abso lute closure of the valve.

The thermostat is'mounted upon an adjustable skeleton frame 10, vertically movable on a fixed frame 11. Acoiled pipe 12, filled with an expansible fluid, such as alco hol, is securedto the frame 10 and atits lower 'uid expands.

Serial'No. 115,419. (No model.)

end is supported by an adjustable rest-13, which constitutes thplower bar of the frame 10, the coils being preferably secured to the frame 10 by pipe is straight and open-ended. vA piston or plunger 15 is fitted to the open end of the pipe, as shown in vided with an upwardly-projecting piston-rod 16, to which a weight 17 is secured. The rod means of suitable fastenings 14. The outer leg or final reach of the coiled Figs. 1 and 5 and is fire,

16 projects through the weight 17 into a socket 18 in a'weight 19. counterweight for which it is connected by a cord 20, elbow-lever21, cord 22, elbow-lever 23, and cord 24. The cord 24 is secured to the lever 4 at 25 near its fulcrum. The weight 19 is sufficiently heavy to actuate the valve-lever 4 from any point of which the valve occupies in its extreme'open position. be in open position The latter serves as a except when closed by the expansion of the liquid in the coiled pipe 12 operating against the piston to lift the weight 19 through the medium of the 'pistonrod. When this is done,the weight of the valve-lever 4 is operative to close the valve gradually in accordance with the gradual upward movement of the weight 19 as the liq- The weight 17 is 'sufficient to overcome the friction of the piston in the pipe 12, the function of this weight being to keep the piston in continuous contact with the liquid in the pipe 12 even though saidliquid continues to contract after the, weight 1.9 has With this construction there is no tendency to form a partial vacuum between the upper surface of the liquid in pipe 12: and the piston, which vacuum, if permitted to beformed,

might become filled with gas, vapor, or air,

and therebyrender the thermostatic action,

of the device irregular. v I

Referring again to the connections'between the weight 19 and the valve-lever 4, it will be observed that a branch cord 26 is connected with the cord 24 at27 and with the outer end of the lever 4 at 28. ment of cord 26 being crum than the point of The point of attach farther from the fulattachmentof cord 24,

The valve will-therefore alwaysthe valve-lever 4, with,

reached the limit of its downward movement.

distance het *en its will perrhi cl. MALL, as the a" attachment to the lever an she point .1. m ioriens more idly than that; between the corresponding points of attachment oi cord The length. of the cords 24 and so proportioned that when lever i moves downwardly to its ex" treme position the Weightof the lever will be thrown largely upon cord 26, while cord 24 is permitted-to slacken, so that it is deflected from a straight; line, as indicated in Fig. 1. The initial upward pull upon cord; 24 is therefore exerted upon. the outer end 'oi lever 4 through i'he medium of branch cord 26 until cord is drawn to a straighhline, when the continued upward movement of lever 4- permite. cord to slackers, the lever being then actuated entirely by cord 24:. The object of Lou this arrangement is to overcome the initial resistance and inertia oi the vaive and. its

actuating-lever. The valvebeing normally closed, it; frequently sticks iio a certain degree by reason corrosion or for' oiher causes. Hence it requires force to start it from that position. also the provision of'a peculiar form of lever herein shown, Wherehy mercury is caused to flow-to the outer end of the lever as the valve is closed, makes it necessary to use ado iional force during its initial upward movement. After the valve is started, howevcr,,frosz1its normal position it is desirable that ii; should move as rapidly possible. ii nee i-he connection offfcord 24 at a point near the fulcrum is also desired.

The term cord used in its broad sense to cover any suiiahle fl iiole comic on, Whether consisting of twine, ire. chain, or linked rode To adjushi'he thermostatic coil 12, i use an adjusting-screw 30 wflch engages in ecreiv hreaded hearings inbhe hase 51 of the frame 10 and is swiveicci to ihe uridcr surface oi the her 13 a1; 32, whereby the thermostatic coils 153 may he raised or lowered h turn the screw 30.

33 a iace-plaie, the lower portion of which is latt-iced to permit a free circuiaiion oi. air to and around. the coils 12. The final reach of the coils is covered by an indies tor-plate 35, Fig. 2, similar in form to that; used in ord iherniometdr.

To facilitate adjusting the coil 12 to the re quired position, I have nrovidecl a sectorshaped gageplatc 3i; and a pointer 37. mo t-ion being communicated to the latter from the bar 13 through the medium of the pivotrod 38, arm 39, and link -50, the latter being connected with bar 13 by a pivot-pin il.

.When the coil is raised, the pointerarni 37 e o so har istry e. "th one oi the marks such mark will indi- .tion, cutting off the supply of steam to the radiator 1, the valve-lever a being depressed. In Fig. 2 the coil is shown adjusted with the pointer indicating 70 on the gage plate or dial. As the temperature of the room decreases below 70 Fahrenheit the contraction of the fluid in the coils 12 removes the support of the Weights 17 and '19 and permits them to descend by gravity, whereupon motion is communicated from the weight 19 through the intervening connections to lift the valve-lever 4c, the initial lifting movement being accomplished by means of a branch con nection 26, until the mercury 9 shifts in the ,lever 4 relieves part of the weight of the outerv end of the lever, when a more rapid movement is communicated to the lever through the medium of the connection 24. When the valve is adjusted to its open position, admitting the steam to the radiator and before the room has had time to become reheated, the fluid will continue to. contract; in the coils 15?, whereupon the weight; 17 will move downwardly away from the weight, 19, thus causing the piston 15 to follow the cntracting fluid. As the room becomes heated the initial expansion of the fluid will not op crate the valve until the weight 1'5 is again brought into con tact with the weight 19, when lifting the latter the valve-lever 4: is permitted to descend. by gravity to again. close the valve. adjusting the supporting-bar l3 vertically the weight 17 may he made to contact with the weight 19 at any desired ten1- peratnre.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

' The combination with a sheanhcontroliing valve of a radiator; of a Weighted valvelever therefor; a counterweight connected with the lever; a tube filled with expansible fluid; a Weight-actuating rod; and means for actuating said rod from said fluid.

3. The combination with a steam-controlling valve of a radiator 5. of aweighted valvelever therefor; a counterweight connected with said lever; a tube filled Wi*l1 expansible fluid. and provided with a piston-operated rod projecting from the tube; a Weight; located on r rod, and supported thereby in the path of said, counterweight; together with means for adjusting the tube.

3. The combination With a steam-control ling valve of a radiator; of a Weighted valvelever therefor; a counterweight connected wi h said lover; a coiled tube filled with expausihie fluid, and provided with a piston-rod e the degree oi temperature at which the I oo projecting from the tube; a weight located on said rod and supported thereby in the path of said counterweight.

4. The combination with a fluidmontaining tube, filled with an exp'ansible fluid; a weighted piston located in said tube; a valve-controlling counterweight; a connection for the piston in-movable engagement with the counterweight; and a device, connected with the piston, for engaging and lifting the counterweight during the movement of the piston in one direction.

5. The combination of a fluid-containing tube containing an expansible fluid; a piston located in said tube; a valve-controlling weight, and a connection for the piston in movable engagement with the weight, said connection being adapted to actuate theweight when moved in one direction.

6. The combination with a fluid-containing tube filled with a sensitive, expansible fluid, such as alcohol; a weighted piston located in said tube; a valve-controlling weight; a connection for the piston in movable engagement therewith; a device, connected with the piston, for engaging and lifting the-weight duning the movement of the piston in one direction; a valve-controlling lever; actuating connections therefor-secured to the lever in proximity to its fulcrum; and flexible branch connections-secured to the lever at a more distant point, said flexible connections being adapted to draw upon the lever when the latter is at the limit of its movement in one direction.

7. The combination with a steam-controlling valve of a radiator; of a tubular valve- .actuating lever connected therewith, and

adapted tobe oscillated above and below a horizontal plane; liquid of high specific gravity in said tube; a counterweight connected with the lever; and athermostatic device for lifting said counterweight.

8. The combination with a steam-controlling valve of a radiator; of a tubular valveactuating lever connected therewith, and adapted to be oscillated above and below a horizontal plane; liquid of high specific gravity in said tube; a counterweight connected with the lever; a thermostatic device; a

weight-actuating element connected therewith, and adapted to engage and lift said counterweight.

0. The combination with a steam-controlling valve of a radiator; of a tubular valveactuating lever connected therewith, and adapted to be oscillated above and below a horizontal plane; liquid of high specific gravity in said tube; a counterweight connected with the lever; a thermostatic .device; a weight-actuating element connected therewith, and adapted to engage and lift said counterweight, said thermostatic device being mounted on an adjustable support.

10. The combination with a steam-controlling valve of a radiator; of a tubular valveactuating lever connected therewith, and adapted to be oscillated above and below a horizontal plane; liquid of high specific gravity in said tube; a counterweight connected with the lever; a thermostatic device; a

weight-actuating element connected therewith, and adapted to engage and lift said counterweight, said thermostatic device being mounted on an adjustable supportgrtogether with an indicating-finger, connected with said adjustable support and adapted to be actuated thereby; and an indicator-plate in cooperative relation to such finger.

11. The combination with a serles of interconnected fluid-containing tubes filled with a sensitive expansible fluid; a movable supporting-frame therefor; a fixed supportingframe loosely connected with the movable frame; an adj Listing-screw for regulating the position of the movable frame on the fixed frame; a piston located in oneof said tubes;-

and having an exteriorly-projecting pistonrod; a weight located on said rod; a valvecontrolling counterweight in the path of the- 

